Toronto – November 9, 2020 – Attention all UFCW Canada members in Ontario: Are you a grocery store cashier, store clerk, or shelf stocker? If so, we want to hear from you. Take part in a remote research study conducted by the Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and receive compensation for your participation.

The Brookfield Institute at Ryerson University, in partnership with UFCW Canada, is studying jobs that are changing and wants to hear your experiences and opinions about work. The new survey also seeks to learn more about the support that grocery workers need to successfully navigate rapidly changing work. The findings will be used to help government policymakers, employers, and labour unions design targeted programs that better respond to the real-life interests of workers, including UFCW members.

Called “Exploring Job Pathways for Grocery Workers,” the cutting-edge study is looking for participants who:

• Have worked as a cashier, store clerk, or shelf stocker in food retail (for example: a grocery or convenience store) in the past five years in Ontario;
• Are over 18 years old;
• Can communicate in English (writing, speaking); and
• Have access to a phone, smart phone, or computer with access to the internet (data or Wi-Fi) and are willing to:
  • Check e-mail (it is how you will be reached); and
  • Complete a survey or take part in online or phone interviews.

To keep everyone safe and socially distanced, nothing will be conducted in person – the Institute will meet you over the phone, on WhatsApp, or through video calls. More information on how, when, and what the study will be asking will be included in your e-mail invitation. All activities are voluntary and confidential.

To learn more about the “Exploring Job Pathways for Grocery Workers” survey, visit the study website. And if you have any questions or are seeking more information about the survey, feel free to contact the research team at [email protected].